Far-right Israeli minister visits sensitive Jerusalem holy site, threatening Gaza peace talks

Israel’s far-right national security minister visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Thursday morning, threatening to disrupt Gaza cease fire talks

Israel Palestinians (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Israel’s far-right national security minister visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Thursday morning, threatening to disrupt Gaza cease fire talks.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader, said he had gone up to the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound of Al Aqsa Mosque to pray for the return of the hostages “but without a reckless deal.”

The move by Itamar Ben-Gvir threatens to disrupt sensitive talks aimed at reaching a cease fire in the 9-month-old Israel-Hamas war.

Jews and Muslims both claim the Jerusalem hilltop compound and visits like Ben-Gvir’s, while legal, are seen as a provocation.